Collin glances behind us before turning back and closing his eyes. He slowly lowers me to the ground, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the trip down the mountain of his muscles. When my feet hit a solid surface, Collin blinks his eyes open and looks at me. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to. The warmth in his green gaze is telling me a whole entire story. It’s filled with Saturday morning crossword puzzles, my head in his lap. Work lunches together when we’re both on call. The good stuff.
It takes me another beat to realize nobody is speaking.
I glance away from Collin and take in the expressions on the faces of our family members. Collin’s mom has her hand pressed over her mouth, eyes wide. Rose is smirking. Poppy’s mouth hangs open. Mack has a wicked grin on his face. It’s perhaps the single most awkward moment of my entire life.
Collin’s mom recovers first. “There they are. The happy couple.” Her trill voice bounces off the walls of the elevator. “Noli, darling, you look stunning.”
Collin twines his fingers with mine, and I give his hand a squeeze.
God bless Bev for glossing over the fact that, while I may look stunning in this wedding dress, I also look like a woman who was thoroughly ravaged in an elevator.
I swallow and offer Collin’s mom my most normal smile. “Mrs. Rattler. It’s good to see you.” I blink up at Collin’s dad, whose expression is fixed in a straight line. “You too, sir.”
“Now, dear, you’re about to be my daughter-in-law. I think you need to call me Bev.” Collin’s mom’s eyes are shining with unshed tears.
I glance back to his dad. He’s frowning, but then he looks away from me and bobs his chin at Collin, almost like he’s saying,It’s good your mother doesn’t know the truth.
I make a mental note to talk to Collin about bringing his mom up to speed as soon as possible.
“Bev. Right.” I smile.
The group shuffles into the elevator.
Collin loops his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him and making space for my sisters. Both Poppy and Rose are blushing, and Poppy mouths, “Oh mygosh!“ as she comes to stand next to me.
“Couldn’t wait for the wedding night, huh?” Rose adds loud enough for everyone to hear.
Mack snorts out a laugh. Poppy swats at Rose.
“What?” Rose says. “We’re all thinking it.”
I shoot her a murderous look. In the reflection of the elevator, I can see my strawberry red cheeks. I can also see that Dirk is staring at Collin and me with a hard expression.
The fifteen-second ride up may as well be fifteen hours. I’m torn between wanting to evaporate from embarrassment and just jumping Collin and picking up where we left off.
Finally, the door dings open.
The Rattler family and my siblings pour out of the elevator first.
Collin and I follow. Dirk pauses and turns to face us.
“Noli, may I have a word?”
“Uh, sure. Of course.” I shoot a glance at Collin, but he’s looking at his dad.
“What do you need?” Collin asks.
“Want to chat with my future daughter-in-law,” he says, his eyes flicking between us. “It’ll only take a minute. You go ahead, son.”
Collin’s hand tightens on mine.
I squeeze back. “It’s okay. I’ll meet you over there. You should probably go and talk to her.” I dip my chin in the direction of Ashlyn. She’s standing about where we left her with her nose in her cell phone. “Butter her up.”
Collin twists his mouth to the side. He nods, bending to place a kiss on my cheek. The moment his lips hit my skin again, I feel a tingle in my toes.
He glances at his dad, and a look passes between them that I can’t read.
Collin strides off, and I watch him go.
